Lindberg furnace removal 07-2017

Sponsor

• Tucker

History

• Idea proposed on mailing list: June 20 2017
• Announced for official discussion: July 4 2017

Background

Rationale: -We have 2 other functioning kilns that cover a similar temperature range and are more appropriate for our needs and uses. Both are fully functional and one is already being used for jewelry casting. -Some of the internal elements on the Lindberg are broken, and the furnace takes an agonizingly long time to get up to temperature. -While this furnace was top of the line some years ago, the advent of cheap PID controllers has made stable temperature regulation a straightforward task. Michael Skilton has donated a PID controller that I plan to install on one of our other kilns at an upcoming tool tuneup thursday (waiting to assemble some of the electrical parts). At that point there is no capability of the Lindberg that we won't have in a smaller more efficient package. -The furnace takes up a LOT of space, and the internal space is surprisingly small. Our two other kilns use less floor space and have similar internal capacity.

Language

The board of directors is directed by the members of Pumping Station: One to take a series of actions regarding disposal of the Lindberg muffle furnace. At the discretion of the board, they may delegate responsibility for dispensing these tasks to willing members. For the purposes of completing the instructed actions in this vote, a thread on the mailing list will be an acceptable format for contacting the membership. Actions to be taken:

• 1) make sure no-one has a great idea to make the muffle furnace super awesome. If someone has a good idea to make this machine very useful to PS1 in a way the 2 kilns are not. A general call to the mailing list with 1week allocated for responses. A compelling use should, a) provide functionality not currently available using PS1's other tools, b) make the tool operational within 1 month, c) serve a need that a notable portion of the membership (at least 5 people) expresses an interest in maintaining.
• 2) If no compelling use was identified in (1), then offer to other charitable institutions locally. If SSH or anyone else wants it, that would be great. The persons responsible for performing this task, shall solicit the membership for potential donees who might be interested. A call for suitable donees, and attempts to contact said donees, should be active for at least 1week.
• 3) If neither (1, or 2) succeed in removing the furnace from PS1, then offer it to the membership on the condition that the furnace be removed from PS1 within 1week of the sale, or the member applies for a permit to make the furnace an active project. If more than 1 member express an interest, the new owner of the furnace will be determined by raffle.
• 4) If none of steps 1-3 have successfully dispensed of the furnace, place it in limbo, and allow the membership to scavenge it for useful parts.